“It’s 2 a.m. and you’re sitting in your dorm room, putting the
finishing touches on a 3,000 word term paper. Suddenly an ominous,
blue light fills your room. What could it be? BSOD-the “Blue Screen
of Death” as it is known in the computer world. That sure sign of a
horrible crash under Windows® has just befallen you at the
worst time. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, for many of the millions
of Windows users it just might. But what can be done when all the
applications that you know and love reside under Windows? Is there
life beyond the BSOD? There sure is, and it’s better!”
“The answer is Linux®, that “rogue” operating system that
students sometimes see running on one of the machines in the
computer lab. Maybe there is that kid who comes into class everyday
with a new “Penguin” shirt on, proclaiming the Linux panacea. The
thought of installing a UNIX®-like OS on a personal computer
seems ridiculous if not intimidating, especially if you’re new to
Linux. But there are several important factors that make Linux the
ideal operating system for any student wanting a stable, viable
alternative to “that other OS.”